REVIEW: Intensity By, C.C. Koen

What would you do to improve your life?

Twenty-one-year-old Serena Thomas is faced with a tough decision. Unable to get ahead of debt and loneliness since her grandmother’s death she finds a new job, placing the sheltered virgin in an underground escort business. She tells herself it’s just a temporary life choice, but destiny has a different plan. She meets a mysterious and gorgeous man, who happens to be her new boss. Will Serena fit in or will she be left all alone again?

Lincoln (aka: Linc) Jefferson has an unusual life. He established The Lounge, an exclusive escort club for very personal reasons. A place where the women say who, when, and what type of sex they’re willing to have. The escorts possess all the power and the money. It’s a business Linc guards at all costs. Trying to maintain the secrecy is a constant challenge and one that’s tested when he enters into a relationship with Serena. She tempts him unlike any woman, even though he’s surrounded by beauty on a daily basis. The more time they spend together the harder it is for him to keep his secrets. Will Serena stand by his side or will she abandon him?

Sparks and passion fly, taking these two on a journey neither could have expected.

This is a debut novel from C.C. Koen and what a debut it was. I picked this book up because of the interesting synopsis and for the most part I was not disappointed. Koen creates a world that you can get lost in. Characters that you can’t help but care for and love.

Serena is a woman that is trying to find her way after her grandmother dies from cancer. She is in an insane amount of debt and is working three jobs to try and fix it. During her catering job she meets Mylaynee who tells her about an escort job that will help her financially. That is when she meets Linc. Lincoln is a mystery. When they first meet he knows there is something different about her. Linc has his secrets and he is willing to do just about anything to keep them. Until he meets Serena.

Their connection is immediate. There is a pull and a tension between them that you can feel through the pages. But their connection is also honest and real despite their secrets. Serena gives him everything and eventually Linc will too. I did have some problems with the actual story line. One, we see Linc kissing B.B but it is never addressed. The make-out session between the man that she “loves” and the harlot is totally glossed over. That brings me to number Two. The whole B.B situation isn’t ever really addressed. In the end Serena sticks up to her but before that she is pretty much a doormat for parts of this book. It bothered me. Three, the stuff with Serena’s mom. I’m not going to tell you much because it’s a spoiler but it seems like it was just forgotten. There is no cliffhanger and until a few days ago I thought this was going to be the only book. So that info was given to us and then just forgotten.

Other than the things listed above I really liked this book. The characters were genuine and really cared about each other. The flow of the story was done well. It wasn’t too fast and it wasn’t too abrupt of an ending either. I would have liked more from the scene at the end but other than that I was happy with the ending. The writing was done well. It was beautiful and poetic at times. This book was a joy to read and I am really happy to hear she is writing another one. Can’t wait to get my hands on it!

“He flashed me that crooked, dimpled smile, and slid his thumb in a tender swipe across my lower lip, whispering, “My serenity. I love you, Serena.”

     

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